When speaking of the legendary exploits of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, there are many — from taking on the A–B Combo alone and forcing the Cloud brothers to retreat, to tearing through whole battalions on the Konoha–Iwa front.
But in terms of battles that truly altered the course of the war, none surpassed the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
That single battle shaped the entire mainline history of the shinobi world: it created the monstrous, teacher-slaying, clan-destroying Uchiha Obito, and it brought the war between Konoha and Iwagakure to an abrupt halt.
Of course, Iwa didn't withdraw only because their supply line was destroyed. Their forces had already been bled dry after the brutal clash with the Third Raikage. Exhausted and undermanned, they had no choice but to negotiate peace with Konoha.
Regardless, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge remained a masterstroke of strategic brilliance.
Inuzuka Hana was the first to react. She instantly understood what Rokuro was suggesting.
"You mean… we're going to do what the Fourth Hokage did — cut off Kumogakure's supply line?"
Everyone turned to the point Rokuro indicated on the map, and realization dawned.
"But the risk is huge!"
"True — but the payoff is even bigger. If we succeed, we solve our own supply issue, heavily wound the Cloud forces, and might even turn the tide of the entire war."
Several Uchiha and Hyūga Taiki began debating intensely. Iruka watched for a long while, puzzled, but didn't dare interrupt the senior shinobi. He timidly tugged on Hana's sleeve.
"What… what does this mean? Can you explain it to me?"
Hana covered her mouth, stifling a laugh without mocking him.
"From how the last battles went, it's clear the Cloud didn't actually care about those two factories. Now it's obvious they were bait — traps set up to wipe out the Konoha infiltration teams. Meaning us."
Iruka thought back to the earlier fights. He hadn't witnessed the supply-pill factory battle, but the armory's destruction happened right in front of him.
"So that's it. No wonder they didn't hesitate to destroy the buildings themselves. It was all a façade. But those poor civilians in the Land of Hot Water… they were killed for nothing."
Hana sighed softly.
"That's the price of making bait believable. If those factories didn't even have workers, anyone would see through the ruse immediately."
Iruka nodded. Hana continued.
"If both factories were fakes, then Cloud's real supplies must still be coming from the Land of Lightning. Geographically, sea transport is the fastest option."
Iruka looked again at the map and finally understood.
"So if we destroy the harbor here in the Land of Hot Water — or sink their supply ships — we can sever the Land of Lightning's supply line?"
"But what if the Land of Lightning doesn't use ships?"
"You mean transporting by land? Impossible. They'd have to pass through the Land of the Moon. Even ignoring whether the Moon Daimyō would permit it, the distance and time required would be far worse than sea routes."
Iruka shook his head.
"That's not what I meant. I'm asking… could the Land of Lightning be using sealing scrolls to transport grain? Like…"
He glanced at Rokuro's massive sealing scroll. By now the group had reached a consensus, and hearing Iruka's question, they all laughed.
Iruka scratched his head, utterly lost.
"Iruka, have you ever actually used a sealing scroll?"
"Not much… they're expensive, so— ah!"
Rokuro spoke.
"Exactly. Even you, a chūnin, hesitate because of the cost. That alone should tell you how expensive they are. And market-grade sealing scrolls have tiny capacity — they're meant for storing tools or valuables. No one can afford to ship bulk items like food and water with them."
He patted his own custom scroll.
"I can use mine only because I'm a sealing specialist. I can make my own and I've modified the technique to greatly increase capacity and reduce cost. Even then, it only holds enough for one squad. Supplying thousands of troops this way? Impossible."
"In sealing arts, Konoha is the most advanced thanks to our bond with the Uzumaki Clan. Cloud's sealing techniques are far inferior; their production cost is higher, failure rates greater. That alone ensures they can only rely on conventional bulk transport."
With this, Iruka finally understood why, back in the Third War, Iwa's logistics fell apart the moment Kannabi Bridge was destroyed.
If sealing scrolls could move rations in bulk, blowing up a bridge would have been meaningless. Even a meteor blocking a valley wouldn't stop shinobi from leaping over it.
After clearing his doubts, Hyūga Taiki gathered everyone and explained the plan in full.
When they heard it was Rokuro's proposal, the Uchiha agreed immediately and without complaint.
The Hyūga side agreed as well — after all, those who came on this mission were all from the branch family; the main family had proven too unreliable and would've been dead weight.
Some of the civilian shinobi felt the plan was too risky, but none could offer a better alternative. Civilian shinobi were already scarce in influence. With little to argue, Rokuro's plan passed with near-unanimous approval.
While Rokuro's group prepared to reverse course and strike directly at the Hot Water Country's northern harbor, the Fourth Raikage was busy praising Mabui.
"Well done! Four pairs of Byakugan in one stroke — far better than the single Byakugan the Mist ever managed to obtain!"
The Raikage stared at the eight preserved Byakugan floating in medical solution, excitement lighting his face.
Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan had high universal applicability. With a competent medic nearby, they could even be implanted immediately.
Once equipped, they were monstrous on the battlefield — living surveillance weapons.
Even the Raikage himself entertained the idea of implanting a pair. Lightning Release Chakra Mode combined with the Byakugan — the thought alone thrilled him.
Yet despite his praise, Mabui showed no joy.
"We gained Byakugan, yes… but our losses were devastating. The battle ratio was 900 to 50. We lost nearly 400 men, and the enemy left only 12 corpses. The strangest part is that not a single Uchiha died. During their breakout, they unleashed a genjutsu of staggering power — that genjutsu flipped the entire battle."
The Raikage set down the Byakugan container, his expression turning sharp.
"The Uchiha are troublesome even one-on-one. Unless your strength far eclipses theirs, they're hard to kill. To think they had a technique like that… Mabui, what are your next steps?"
"We can only send pursuit units. That genjutsu must have a cost. Otherwise the Uchiha would've used it in the Third War. As long as we keep sending waves to wear them down, they'll eventually be cornered and wiped out."
She laid out several pursuit routes on the map. The Raikage nodded.
While Rokuro and Cloud planned their next moves, trouble brewed in Konoha's main camp — the commanders, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hizashi, had erupted into a fierce argument!
END OF CHAPTER
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